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Billy Idol Stuns Fans with Bold New Chapter: “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” Documentary Reveals Untold Struggles
In a bombshell revelation, rock legend Billy Idol has shocked fans with deeply personal revelations in his upcoming 2025 documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10. The documentary, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, explores the raw and unfiltered truth behind Idol’s nearly fatal motorcycle crash in 1990, his battles with drug addiction, and the turbulent journey that nearly ended his career—and his life.
For decades, fans knew Idol as the sneering, leather-clad rocker with a fistful of hits and a rebellious persona. But behind the iconic image was a man grappling with intense pain and self-destruction. In the documentary, Idol candidly admits, “I was living like I was invincible. I shouldn’t be here today, but somehow, I survived.”
The most shocking moment comes when Idol recounts a near-death overdose incident in 1994 that had never been made public before. “I flatlined in a London flat,” he confesses in the film. “No press, no hospital records—it was covered up. That was my rock bottom.”
The documentary also details how Idol underwent intensive therapy and adopted a healthier lifestyle after the birth of his grandchildren, finding a new sense of purpose in later life. Viewers are taken inside his home, studio sessions for his 2025 album Dream Into It, and rehearsals with longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, witnessing a man who has truly risen from the ashes.
Fans and critics alike are calling the film “raw,” “inspiring,” and “unlike anything Billy Idol has ever done.” Far from tarnishing his legacy, this honest portrait is poised to elevate it. As one fan put it: “He’s not just a rock star—he’s a survivor.”